I didn’t have any cream cheese. But I wanted carrot cake. My husband said, “How about your chocolate frosting?” (He loves chocolate!) Once I stopped laughing, I decided to make my whole wheat carrot cake with chocolate frosting, knowing once he had a taste, he would agree to never make a baking suggestion again. Well after I ate some of the cake, I had to eat crow. It was delicious!
Homemade carrot cake is a real treat and worth the effort of shredding a big carrot. I’ve simplified my recipe so it works with or without crushed pineapple and this time I didn’t have pineapple either and this cake is really delicious without it, especially with chocolate frosting. I used my 2-Minute Chocolate Frosting and frosted only the top of my cake right in the pan.
Mine is a healthier whole wheat carrot cake make without butter so the only butter here is in the frosting. I sometimes double the frosting, split the cake and make it a 2-layer treat. If you want to try something different and delicious, make homemade carrot cake with chocolate frosting, or use the traditional cream cheese topping. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
There are lots of Mexican restaurants here in Southern California and I love Mexican food but I don’t always feel good after eating it. And tacos are my favorite so I decided to create something of my own that’s healthy, low fat, easy to serve, and really good! Most taco casseroles use tortillas chips but corn tortillas are a healthier choice and they make a taco casserole that’s soft and with more flavor than using tortilla chips. This easy dinner is high in fiber and protein. it has two vegetables, and it’s gluten free.
Quality matters so look for corn tortillas with the shortest ingredient list and not too much salt. I always look for low sodium products including the pinto beans (I use S&W brand). You can always add salt later or even some cayenne pepper if you like it spicy. And do not use pre-shredded cheese because it won’t melt like freshly shredded cheese. It’s really easy to put this delicious casserole together in layers and here’s how I layer it:
3 Tortillas + Meat + Beans with Liquid + Cheese. Repeat this two more times to make 3 layers and then add remaining 3 tortillas on top. I like to tear and scatter them over the top in smaller pieces for easy serving. (It’s okay to have some openings in the tortilla layers).
You can serve this taco casserole two ways: Either top it with the shredded lettuce and tomatoes or serve them on the side. It’s fun for everyone to put on as much as they want and you can even use some chopped white onion as an extra topping, or even some sliced jalapeno peppers.
If you like soft tacos and fun, easy family meals, you will love this easy taco casserole. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
I always look for a healthier way to make all the favorite things we like to eat and chocolate chip cookies are at the top of my “favorite things to eat” list. I posted my recipe some time ago but when I baked them today, I made a couple of small improvements. I reduced the oil and salt a little and I prefer them the new way. (the changes are noted in the recipe).
Anyone looking to bake with whole grains can make my version that uses part whole wheat & part all purpose flour. But these healthier cookies can also be made using only all purpose flour but honestly, there’s not much difference so I say go with the whole wheat version.
While most chocolate chip cookie recipes start out with a stick of butter, my recipe uses only three tablespoons of butter. I’m still not convinced we should be eating lots of butter as some people believe but when I use butter, I’m going with the grass-fed kind.
I always put nuts in these cookies and whether you use walnuts or pecans, I highly recommend toasting the nuts first. Toasting intensifies the flavor and it will add a lot to these delicious cookies, especially pecans. For chocolate chips, the darker the better for some health benefits.
To try my whole wheat dark chocolate chip cookies, just click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
It really makes my day when someone take time to send a photo of one of my recipes, and it’s always nice if they say where they’re from. Please send your photo to: YourPhotos@JennyCanCook.com
EDDY MADE MY BEEF STEW
“My first old-school Beef Stew. Thank you.”
~ That’s a good looking beef stew. Thanks for the instagram photo. ~ jenny
JOANN MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD
“Sent from my iphone.”
~ That’s a beautiful, cracked crust – the best kind. Thank you! ~ jenny
DALILA MADE MY CHOCOLATE-DIPPED COCONUT MACAROONS
“Hi Jenny! ? I happen to enjoy coconut like crazy, so I made your CHOCOLATE-DIPPED COCONUT MACAROONS. The first thing I really liked about this recipe was the number of ingredients I needed, only 5 ingredients. I did add almonds to my macaroons, so 6 ingredients for me. Still, not bad, I was done combining everything in no time at all. I used my small cookie scoop to form my macaroons. The texture was so good, nice and moist with a good chew to them. You definitely know your sweets…..YAY YOU!! ? This recipe is a keeper, it’s nice and easy with limited ingredients. But mainly because these macaroons taste great! Happy Baking! ?”
~ Thank you for another lovely photo. They turned out perfectly. ~ jenny
DARNY MADE MY NO KNEAD BREAD
“Thank you for sharing this simple recipe..this is the very first bread i learned how to make,and because of this i began to bake more different kinds of bread and pastries ,you inspired me,and made a baker out of me..thank you..this is my husband’s and my kids favorite bread by the way.”
~ The bread looks fab and so does your little Italian chef. I’m happy to have been an inspiration. Thank you. ~ jenny
I didn’t have any cream cheese. But I wanted carrot cake. My husband said, “How about your chocolate frosting?” (He loves chocolate!) Once I stopped laughing, I decided to make my whole wheat carrot cake with chocolate frosting, knowing once he had a taste, he would agree to never make a baking suggestion again. Well after I ate some of the cake, I had to eat crow. It was delicious!
